Puckering a thermoplastic fabric by heating one side thereof



Oct. 10, 1950 F. G. DODGE 2,524,895

PUCKERING A THERMOPLASTIC FABRIC BY HEATING QNE SIDE THEREOF Filed Oct. 31, 1945 INVENTQRT FREDERICK G. DODGE.

BY WXW A TORNEYS Patented Oct. 10,

PUCK-ERINGA THERMOiLASTIC FABRIC BY HEATING ONE SIDE THEREOF Frederick G- Dodge, Cumberland, Md, assignor to Celanese Corporation of America, a crporation of Delaware Application October 31, 1945 Serial No; 625,745

11 Claims.

This invention relates to the production of novel decorative patterned fabrics, and relates more particularly .to the production of novel patterned textile fabric webs comprising filamentary mahaving a basis of a thermoplastic material in a rapid and economical manner. In accordance with my novel pro'cessjsa-id patterned fabrics may be obtained-by passing fabrics made'of or containing'yarns' of a thermoplastic material, with no terials having a basis of a thermoplastic material. 5 substantial tension thereon, over a surface heated An object of this i ven on s the production of to a temperature .sufiiciently high to effect a softnovel textile fabrics having an attractive surface ening or slight melting of the thermoplastic exhibiting a q l d efiect d m o r c nterials contained in said fabrics. The softening wining yarns and filaments having a basis of a or slight melting which takes place causes a thelmoplastic material; l 10 calized shrinking or buckling of the fabric with Another Object P thls mventlon to plfovlde a the formation of an attractive; random overall rapid and economical process whereby sald novel pattern. effect of quilted appearance The patterned fabncs may be produced In contlnu' tern formed is permanent and does not undergo ous manner- 15 any changeduring use.

further PbJect of 15 the The temperature at which the heated surface Vlslon of slmple and i apparatus is maintained to produce the. desired eifectmay adapted for the productmn of Sam decoratwe vary. Where fabrics made of or containingyarns fabncs' and filaments having a basis of cellulose acetate t objects g g tt fi a m or other organic derivative of cellulose are em- 2233 322311 ed descnp Ion an e accomployed; the temperature. of the surface ismost In the drawing 7 preferably held between 250 and. 280 C. 'Ifhe Fig 1 is a viewin perspective of the apparatus fabric is fed at airateof 1 to-2yards a minute with employed in connection with my novel process he i .ll of sucfh'dimenslons that Showing a 1.011 of fabric a fabric heating element the fabric 18.111.001'11'13015 therewith ror from-1 to 5 and the fabric feed and take-off means; and Seconds" V Fig 2 is a cross secfional View of the novel In order further to illustrate my 1nvent1on,reffabric produced in accordance with my process. erencetmaybelhad theficcompanymg diva-Wing Like reference numerals indicate'like parts in Wherem-there shPwn aslmple efie'ctlve 3 both views of thedrawing 7 3O paratus employed in the production of my novel Fabrics made of or containing yarns and filapatternedfabms- 1 ments having a basis of a thermoplastic textile 'R' now to the dl'a'wlng and more l materialandpresenting a threedimensional pat" ticularly to Fig. 1, there is shown aroll of fabric, terned efiect have heretofore been produced-by g l indifiateda y reference numeral embossing operations. In such embossing opera- W011v1d-0n1af Sultable 5111313014? 5 n 8; tions, the fabric is passed'between' heated rotating trally disposedshaft 1 adapted to fit into suitable rolls, one of which carries the desired pattern in bearings. ch-asirollerbear s (not Shown), to relief while the other carries the pattern in inpermit'l0ll'5fto e y o 'p e taglio. The heated rolls are rotatedin such a fabric, Btobe readil unrolled therefrom; Roll 5 manner that the raised portions of one roll regis- 40 is rotated and fabric 8" thus paid off through the ter with the depressions in the other and the comaction of a positively driven, rubber-covered fricbined action of heat and pressure serves to distort tionroll B l-which rests ontheupp rportion of said the thermoplastic material permanently and to roll 5:2 Friction" roll 9 is rotated by a belt and yield a three-dimensional, patterned material. pulley arrangement; the pulley iil being mounted Any change inthe pattern design requires a dif 5 onshaft H,- on whichroll" 9' is mounted, andheldferent set of engraved rolls which are quite costly. in: position thereon by a set screw i2. B'elt i3" Furth rmore, the pattern is constantly repeated circlespulle'y iiiand' is driven in any suitable in the embossed fabric at relatively short intermanner (not. shown)" to cause friction roll 9 to vals, and therefore, a non-repetitive random patrotaterin the: direction shown. Shaft l I passing tern cannot be obtained. through friction-roll Q'may be'supp'orted in suit- I-have now discovered that an unusually attracable bearings (not shown) adapted to allow the tive random, three-dimensional pattern efie'ct, friction roll 9 to float which enables it to bear i. e. a random, quilted eff'e'ctmay be produced on down on: fabric roll: 5' and to maintain the desired fabricsrnade of or containing yarns or filaments frictional c'onta'ct th'erewith through the force of gravity;-I r

The rotation of friction roll 9 causes the thermoplastic fabric 8 to be paid off fabric roll 5 and to come in contact with a heated metal plate l4 maintained at the desired temperature by any suitable heating means. For highly accurate control of the temperature, I preferably employ electrical resistanc coils (not shown) suitably disposed beneath or within said plate. In lieu of a metal plate, a ceramic material or any other material capable of being heated to and maintained at the desired temperature may also be employed. Plate It may be supported in any convenient manner as on brackets [5, only one of which is shown.

When the fabric 8 comes into contact with heated plate l4, the elevated temperature at which said plate is maintained causes a softening and/ or melting of the thermoplastic material. This softening action produces a non-uniform buckling of the fabric with the formation of an overallpattern effect. The pattern effect coma basis of silk, cotton, wool, flax, regenerated cellulose, and the like, woven in any sequence with said thermoplastic yarns.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of illus tration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Process for the production of patterned fabrics, consisting of the step of passing one side only of an untensioned, undelineated, even-surfaced fabric containing filaments of a thermoplastic material in free, over-all contact with a smooth flat surface maintained at a temperature suiiiciently high to effect at least a softening of prises a substantially continuous series of raised 7 or puffed areas I6, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2, varying in size and shape, the narrow depressions between said raised areas being very slightly stiffened.

The fabric 8 after passing across plate l4 and having a pattern produced therein, is withdrawn by the action of a rotating take-01f roll I! driven by means of a belt l8, which is in frictional contact with a pulley l9.mounted on a shaft 20 passing through said take-off roll l1. Pulley I9 is held on shaft 20 by a screw 2|. The peripheral speed of take-01f roll I! is maintained in a predetermined ratio to the speed at which fabric 8 is paid off roll 5 on to plate M by means of friction roll 9. With the rate of fabric feed and take-off substantially constant, fabric 8 is under substantially no tension during the operation described. The patterned fabric leaving take-off roll I! may be allowed to gather and cool on a flat table 22 and is then taken up in any suitable form, such as in roll form, if desired.

To avoid any sticking of the thermoplastic fabric to the heated surface I4, I have found it most sults comprises a polymeric organic silicone, such as polymeric methyl silicone, the degree of polymerization being such that the polymer has the consistency of a grease.

Any fabric made of or containing yarns or filaments havin a basis of a thermoplastic material may be treated in accordance with my novel process. As examples of filament-forming thermoplastic materials of which said yarns may be made, there may be mentioned cellulose esters, such as cellulose acetate, cellulose propionate and cellulose butyrate, mixed esters such as cellulose acetate-propionate and cellulose acetate-butyrate, cellulose ethers, such as ethyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose, synthetic linear polyam'ide condensation products such as polyhexamethylene adipamide, polymerized vinyl compounds such as polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetals, copolymers of vinylidene chloride and vinyl chloride, vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate copolymers and polymerized methacrylic acid compounds. While the most advantageous results are obtained when the fabric is made wholly of thermoplastic yarns and filaments, the fabrics may, of course, also contain a proportion of non-thermoplastic yarns such as those having the thermoplastic material.

2. Process for the production of patterned fabrics, consisting of the step of passing one side only of an untensioned, undelineated, even-surfaced fabric containing filaments of a thermoplastic material having a basis of an organic derivative of cellulose 'in free, over-all contact with a smooth fiat surface maintained at a temperature sufficiently high to effect at least a softening of the thermoplastic material.

3. Process for the production of patterned. fabrics, consisting of the step of passing one side only of an untensioned, undelineated, even-surfaced fabric containing filaments of a thermoplastic material having a basis of cellulose acetate in free, over-all contact with a smooth flat surface maintained at a temperature sufficiently high to effect at least a softening of the thermoplastic material.

4. Process for the production of patterned fabrics, consisting of the step of passing one side only of an untensioned, undelineated, even-surfaced fabric containing filaments of a thermoplastic material in free, over-all contact with a smooth flat surface maintained at a temperature sufficiently high to effect at least a softening of the thermoplastic material, said temperature being at least 250 C.

5. Process for the production of patterned fabrics, consisting of the step of passing one side only of an untensioned undelineated, even-surfaced fabric containing filaments of a thermoplastic material having a basis of an organic derivative of cellulose in free, over-all contact with a smooth, fiat surface maintained at a temperature sufficiently high to effect at least a softening of the thermoplastic material, said temperature being at least 250 C.

6. Process for the production of patterned fabrics, consisting of the step of passing one side only of an untensioned, undelineated, even-surfaced fabric containing filaments of a thermoplastic material having a basis of cellulose acetate in free, over-all contact with a smooth, flat surface maintained at a temperature sufiiciently high to effect at least a softening of the thermoplastic material, said temperature being at least 250 C.

7. Process for the production of patterned fabrics, consisting of the step of passing one side only of an untensioned, undelineated, even-surfaced fabric containing filaments of a thermoplastic material in free, over-all contact with a smooth, fiat, lubricated surface maintained at a temperature sufficiently high to effect at least a softening of the thermoplastic material, said temperature being at least 250 C.

8. Process for the production of patterned fabrics, consisting of the step of passing one side only of an untensioned, undelineated, even-surfaced fabric containing filaments of a thermoplastic material having a basis of an organic derivative of cellulose in free, over-all contact with a smooth, fiat, lubricated surface main tained at a temperature sufficiently high to effect at least asoftening of the thermoplastic material, said temperature being at least 250 C.

9. Process for the production of patterned fabrics, consisting of the step of passing one side only of an untensioned, undelineated, even-surfaced fabric containing filaments of a thermoplastic material having a basis of cellulose acetate in free, over-all contact with a smooth fiat lubricated surface maintained at a temperature sufficiently high to effect at least a softening of the thermoplastic material, said temperature being at least 250 C.

10. Process for the production of patterned fabrics, consisting of the step of passing one side only of an untensioned, undelineated, evensurfaced fabric containing filaments of a thermoplastic material having a basis of cellulose acetate in free, over-all contact with a smooth flat surface lubricated with a polymeric organic silicone and maintained at a temperature sufiiciently high to effect at least a softening of the thermoplastic material, said temperature being at least 250 C.

11. Process for the production of patterned REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 916,367 Pohl Mar. 23, 1909 1,889,061 Dickie et a1 Nov. 29, 1932 2,113,935 Dreyfus et al Apr. 12, 1938 2,120,551 Dreyfus June 14, 1938 2,199,411 Lewis May 7, 1940 2,235,869 Croft Mar. 25, 1941 2,278,896 Rugeley Apr. 7, 1942 2,284,182 Verduin May 26, 1942 2,346,208 Conaway Apr. 11, 1944 2,365,931 Benger Dec. 26, 1944 2,373,194 Luttge Apr. 10, 1945 2,373,195 Wedler Apr. 10, 1945 

2. PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PATTERNED FABRICS, CONSISTING OF THE STEP OF PASSING ONE SIDE ONLY OF AN UNTENSIONED, UNDELINEATED, EVEN-SURFACED FABRIC CONTAINING FILAMENTS OF A THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING A BASIS OF AN ORGANIC DERIVATIVE OF CELLULOSE IN FREE, OVER-ALL CONTACT WITH A SMOOTH FLAT SURFACE MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO EFFECT AT LEAST A SOFTENING OF THE THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL. 